“No, I’m pretty sure you’ve covered everything. If I think of something else, I’ll be sure to ask before you leave. Are you sure hiring me without knowing me was a good idea?” she asked as she stood by the bed, still holding the clothes he’d given her.
“I’m good with it, Lovely. If I wasn’t, trust me, you’d already be out the door. I’m not a fool and I have damned good instincts where people are concerned. I’m rarely wrong about them. Besides you needed help and I was in a position to help. It helps that Jazzy likes you. That’s something I long ago learned was a good indication of character,” Peanut shrugged, the smile still crinkling his eyes.
Phoebe didn’t know what else to say after that so she just looked around the room. She noted that there was only a dresser and a double bed with a tan comforter in the room. It looked a bit like a hotel room. She supposed that made sense if he had several different people over watching Jasmine when he went on trips for the club. It was still odd to her that he was trusting her but maybe this was what it was like for normal people. Nothing that had happened in her life over the past few years had been even a little bit normal. It had all been about fear and pain.
“Thank you,” was all she could think to say.
“You’re welcome,” he replied before nodding and leaving the room. He even shut the door behind him. She stared at that door with an odd sense of wellbeing filling her up for the first time in forever.
Chapter Nine
Phoebe had looked through the pantry and the refrigerator and found the ingredients to make chicken fajitas. She had started to make them when she realized she wasn’t sure if Jasmine liked them and decided she’d have to go ask her. She washed her hands and headed down the hall to ask, her mind on the day’s events. Peanut had left two hours ago with only a quick goodbye to her and Jasmine. Nothing else. No dire warnings to keep his daughter safe or any hesitation on his part. She was still a little flabbergasted by his trust. He’d left a long list of numbers for her to call if she had ‘trouble’. She wasn’t even sure what he thought could or would happen that required twelve phone numbers. Why would they need that many people if something happened? Maybe they wouldn’t all be available, so he’d given her a bunch just to be sure? She didn’t know but it was another thing she was adding to the list she’d started in her head labeled odd things about Peanut.
She couldn’t decide as she neared Jasmine’s room. Seeing that the door was open, she peeked inside to see Jasmine lying on her bed doing her homework. She rapped on the door frame to get Jasmine’s attention. Jasmine looked up and frowned a little as she sat up.
“I told Dad I would do my homework. Did he tell you to check up on me to be sure I was doing it?” Jasmine asked, looking unhappy that her father didn’t trust her to do as she was asked.
“No, I was actually about to make dinner when I realized I should ask you if you like fajitas before I made some and they went to waste,” Phoebe said as she leaned against the frame watching the girl.
“You can cook?” Jasmine asked.
“Yes, I can. Although you and your dad don’t have much in the way of supplies. I guess your dad doesn’t cook here much, huh?” Phoebe asked, immediately feeling like an asshole for saying that. Jasmine just nodded her head and shrugged.
“He isn’t really good at it. It’s mostly stuff out of a box like rice a roni, or those spaghetti and pot pie dinners you can warm up in the oven. Star sometimes cooks when she stays with me and sometimes Uncle Rage’s new wife brings us cooked stuff to put into the oven and reheat.” Jasmine paused, seemingly thinking about who else cooked for them and Phoebe noted the change in the girl’s expression before she continued.
“Brenna used to bring us stuff all the time but lately she hasn’t been over much. She used to take me out for girl’s night every few weeks but not lately. I don’t get it because I thought she liked me,” Jasmine grumbled looking upset.
She began pushing her pencil around on her notebook, likely trying to figure out why her new friend didn’t want to hang out anymore. Phoebe hated that Jasmine was hurt by Brenna’s obvious betrayal. She’d never been friends with Jasmine, she’d only wanted to be in Peanut’s good graces and had seen Jasmine as a way to get there. She really hated women like that, they were such bitches.
“I’m sure she likes you, but maybe she’s just been really busy,” Phoebe told her, trying to spare Jasmine’s feelings because she was almost positive that the woman was only interested in Peanut. It ticked her off royally that Brenna had fucked with Jasmine’s head trying to make Peanut like her. It was just screwed up to do that.
“I guess.” Jasmine shrugged again before looking up at her. “Can I help you make the fajitas?” she asked, sitting up on her knees with a hopeful look on her face.
“Sure,” Phoebe said.
“Cool. Aunt Star never lets me help because of the boys. She says when they help it’s a giant mess. Once she let us help her make sugar cookies and they made a huge mess, so I guess she’s right,” Jasmine babbled as
